Formation services for California med spas compared
Which formation service should I use to set up a California med spa?
A med spa may need two different filings from a service
A California med spa usually needs a professional medical corporation for the practice and, if a lay founder is involved, an ordinary LLC for the management company; not every service files both.
That split drives this whole page. Many formation services are built around LLCs, and an LLC cannot be the practice, because Corporations Code 17701.04(e) bars LLCs from rendering professional services in California. So the first question to ask a service is whether it will file Form ARTS-PC, the Articles of Incorporation of a Professional Corporation, at all.
The reasons for the two-entity shape are on the entity page and the MSO page. Nothing a service files changes the ownership rules, the fictitious name permit or the supervision paperwork; those stay with the physician owner.
Corp. Code 17701.04(e)Corporations Code 17701.04(e) provides that nothing in the California LLC act permits an LLC to render professional services in the state. — California Legislative Information, retrieved 2026-09-27
ZenBusiness states on its own California page that it does not currently offer a formation service for professional corporations in California. — ZenBusiness California professional corporation page, retrieved 2026-09-27
Published prices and professional corporation coverage, side by side
The state fee is the same whoever files, so compare services on what they charge for the filing you actually need and whether they handle a professional corporation.
Every figure in the table is taken from the service's own page on the date shown. Where a page did not state something, the table says so rather than filling the gap. A $0 headline price usually covers an LLC; the professional corporation, where offered, is often priced separately.
| Service | Published price | Registered agent in year one | Files a CA professional corporation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tailor Brands | $0 + state fees (LLC Lite plan) | Not stated on pricing page | LLC plans on pricing page |
| MyCorporation | $109 + state fees (professional corporation) | Offered; price not stated on page | Yes |
| Bizee | $0 + state fee (LLC Basic) | One free year included | Not stated on pricing page |
| BetterLegal | $299 + state fees (LLC or corporation) | Add-on | Not stated on home page |
| Harbor Compliance | From $99 + $100 state fee | Sold separately | Yes |
| LegalZoom | $0 + state fees (LLC Basic) | Separate, $249 per year | Not stated on pricing page |
| ZenBusiness | $0 + state fees (standard corporation) | Not reviewed | No, per its own page |
| Secretary of State directly | $100 (ARTS-PC) or $70 (LLC-1) | You name your own agent | Yes |
$109 + state feesMyCorporation publishes professional corporation formation at $109 plus state fees, including articles with profession-specific language and sample bylaws. — MyCorporation professional corporation page, retrieved 2026-09-27
From $99Harbor Compliance publishes California articles of incorporation filing starting at $99, covering domestic professional corporations, with the state's $100 fee separate. — Harbor Compliance California articles of incorporation page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$0 + state feeBizee publishes a $0 Basic LLC plan plus the state fee, with one free year of registered agent service in all three packages. — Bizee pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
The services, matched to what a med spa actually files
These are use-case slots, not a ranking: each service sits in the slot its own published offer fits, and the order is presentation order.
Every figure comes from the service's own page on the retrieval date. Check the current plan page before you buy, because prices change.
- Tailor Brands
The slot for a lay founder's management LLC and the filings that follow it. The $0 Lite plan covers the LLC formation itself plus an annual compliance filing and an operating agreement, with Essential at $199 a year and Elite at $249 a year adding more of the platform. Its pricing page lists LLC plans, so it is not the route for the professional medical corporation.
- MyCorporation
The slot for filing the professional medical corporation itself. It publishes professional corporation formation at $109 plus state fees, with articles drafted in the profession-specific language licensing boards expect, sample bylaws and sample minutes. Registered agent service is offered, but its price is not stated on the professional corporation page.
- Bizee
The lowest total first-year cost in the table for the management LLC: a $0 Basic plan where you pay the $70 state fee, with a free first year of registered agent service. The agent service is what renews after year one, and its renewal price was not stated on the pages reviewed.
- BetterLegal
The flat-rate slot: one published price of $299 plus state fees for an LLC or corporation, with the EIN, bylaws or operating agreement and a banking resolution in the package and a two-business-day turnaround. Registered agent service is an add-on rather than part of the flat price.
- Harbor Compliance
The slot for a professional corporation filed with a specialist reviewing the fees. Its California articles service starts at $99 and explicitly covers domestic professional corporations under Corporations Code 13400 to 13410. It states that the specialist will confirm the exact filing fees and invoice extras if required, so the starting price is a floor.
- LegalZoom
The slot for a tiered LLC package from a large provider: a $0 Basic plan plus state fees, with Pro at $249 and Premium at $299. Registered agent service is not in the formation packages and is billed separately at $249 a year, renewing automatically. Its LLC pricing page does not address professional corporations.
$0 + state feesTailor Brands publishes a $0 Lite LLC plan plus state fees, with Essential at $199 per year and Elite at $249 per year. — Tailor Brands plans and pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$299 + state feesBetterLegal publishes LLC or corporation formation at $299 plus state filing fees, including an EIN and bylaws or an operating agreement. — BetterLegal home page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$249 per yearLegalZoom publishes a $0 Basic LLC plan plus state fees and bills registered agent service separately at $249 per year. — LegalZoom registered agent page, retrieved 2026-09-27
Filing it yourself on bizfile Online
You can file both entities yourself through the Secretary of State's own portal: $100 for the professional corporation on Form ARTS-PC and $70 for an LLC on Form LLC-1.
The Secretary of State's bizfile Online takes both filings directly, with no service in the middle. Mailed paper filings avoid the $15 in-person handling fee, and a certified copy is an optional $5. This is the same filing a service submits, at the same state fee.
What a service adds is the drafting, a registered agent address and reminders. The medical corporation's name rules and the fictitious name permit that follows are covered in the fictitious name permit guide, and no service files that permit for you.
$100 / $70The Secretary of State charges $100 to file Form ARTS-PC and $70 to file Form LLC-1. — California Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
$70Form LLC-1, Articles of Organization for a California LLC, carries a $70 filing fee. — California Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
What no formation service does for a med spa
However the entities are filed, the fictitious name permit, the supervision paperwork and the ownership structure remain the physician owner's work; no formation package covers them.
The Medical Board's fictitious name permit is an application by the practice, with a $70 fee and a copy of the Articles attached. Standardized procedures for nurses are clinical documents the physician must develop and document. The share structure has to satisfy Corporations Code 13401.5, which caps all non-physician licensees together at 49 percent.
A service that files an LLC for the practice itself has not saved you a step; it has created an entity that cannot lawfully render the services. Confirm the entity type before paying for anything, and read who can own a med spa before choosing who appears as a shareholder.
$70The Medical Board of California charges a $70 application fee for a fictitious name permit. — Medical Board of California, retrieved 2026-09-27
49 percentCorporations Code 13401.5 caps the combined shares of non-physician licensees in a medical corporation at 49 percent of the total. — California Legislative Information, retrieved 2026-09-27
Watch the Statement of Information solicitations after you file
Whoever files the entities, expect official-looking mail offering to file the Statement of Information for a fee; the Secretary of State says those letters are not sent on its behalf.
The Secretary of State's alert describes solicitations charging a service fee nearly ten times the state fee of $25 for a corporation or $20 for an LLC, and notes that filing directly on bizfile Online typically processes within minutes. A formation service you have chosen may legitimately offer to file it; an unsolicited letter from a company you have never used is a different thing.
The recurring filings for both entities are set out on the taxes and annual filings page. Put the first Statement of Information deadline, 90 days after filing, in your calendar the day the entity is approved.
The Secretary of State states that some Statement of Information solicitations charge a service fee nearly ten times the fee to file directly, and are not sent on its behalf. — California Secretary of State, retrieved 2026-09-27
Questions
Can a formation service get my med spa its fictitious name permit?
The permit is issued by the Medical Board to the physician practice, and the application is the practice's own. Plan on applying directly, at $70, with a copy of the medical corporation's Articles attached.
Is a $0 formation plan enough for a med spa?
A $0 plan typically covers an LLC, which can serve as the management company but not as the practice. The professional medical corporation is a separate filing, priced separately where a service offers it at all.
Does it matter which state fee I pay if I use a service?
No. The Secretary of State charges $100 for a professional corporation and $70 for an LLC whoever submits the filing. A service's own fee is added on top of the state fee.